Otto a



O. A. HOKANSON.

VARIABLE LINE SPACER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY H. 1918.

Patented July 22, 1919.

IIINHIHIIIIWIIIH A A 1 zllll I 0% A AA KZWI printing from each other.

sary for the purposes of alinement to vary it willnot come OTTQA.HOKANSON, WOODSTOCK, ILLIN oIs, AssIGNon. TO woons'roox TYPEWRITERcomrm, or woonsrocx, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or'mLm'oIs.

. VARIABLE LINE-SPACER.

Application meana 11, 1918. Serial No. 233,835.

typewriters, and; platen construcmechamsm, and

the object of the invention is to provide means by which the platen canbe released from the ordinary or normal line spacing mechanism, andvaried or set entlrely independent of the ordinary line spacingmechanism.

The invention consists in the novel construction, combination, andarrangement of the parts.

In the accompanying draWmg- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of aplaten to which the present invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. ratchet. I

In the ordinary operation of a typewriter, the platen is advanced one ormore spaces by rotating the platen to space the lines of It may benecesthe line of writing so that upon any of the lines due to theordinary line spacing mechanism. Thepresent invention is thereforeprovided to afford an easily accessible and operable means for disendsof the platen. At the end connecting the platen from the ordinary linespacing mechanism so that the platen can be freely rotated withoutlongitudinal movement thereof, and -without longitudinal movement of theshaft upon which the platen is mounted.

In the present invention a platen 1 of Well-known form and constructionis provided at one end with a bearing member 2, and at the other endwith a bearing member having a recess 4 cured to the platen by asuitable fastening means 5. These'bearing members 2 and 3 support theplaten upon shaft 6 which ex tends through carriage end plates 7. at theadjacent the bearing member 2 a knurled knob 8 having a.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ridge 18 at a and 3 is a perspective of the line spacing at its outerend and se- Patented July 22, 1919.

stem 9 is secured to the shaft by means of a set screw 10. At the otherend of the shaft it is formed. with a longitudinally extending groove11, and attached to this end is a knurled knob 12 mounted on a stem 13which abuts the outside of the carriage plate 7 at this end and is meansof a set screw 14.

.Secured to the inner end of the stem 13 y means of a set screw 15 is asleeve 16 which fits closely about the shaft 6' and is secured to theshaftby formed at its inner end, within the recess 4- of the bearingmemberB, with a longitudinal slot 17.

This sleeve 16 has an annular distance from the inside of the carriageend plate 7, and between this ridge and the end of the stem 13 is abearing sleeve 19 which fits closely around the sleeve 16 is'connectedwith the carriage end plate Mounted on this hearing sleeve 19,'betweenthe plate 7 and the ridge 18 is a line spacing pawl arm 20 and otherline'spacing parts 21. Mounted on the sleeve 16 inside of the ridge 18is a line spacing ratchet .wheel 22 which extends outwardly beyond theedge of the bearing member 3, and is provided with a slotted circularextension forming tongues 23 which are, thinner at their outer edge thanthey are adjacent the wheel 22 having an inclined wedging surface at theinside of the tongues so that the tongues will fit closely within therecess 4 of the bearing member 3. Also mounted within the recess 4 is aWedging member 24 which is slidable longitudinally on the inner slottedend of the sleeve 16, and the outer face of this wedging member 24 isformed with an inclined surface which cotiperates-with the innerinclined surface of the resilient tongues 23 of the ratchet wheel 22 sothat the-tongues can be pressed outwardly into engagement with thebearing member 4, locking the ratchet wheel and pawl together, or can bemoved in the other direction, relieving the tongues of this wedgmgengagement,and thereby allowing the extends slightly beyond the end ofthe shaft is coaxial with the shaft., The end of the stem 13 to whichthe knob 12 is secured projects outwardly be end the attached portion ofthe knob 12 an is formed with an annular groove 28. Mounted on thisextension of the stem 13 is a variable line spacing knob 29 which isattached to the .stem by means of a screw 30 which has a pointprojecting into the groove 28 so that the knob 29 can be freely rotated,the knob being also threaded upon the end 27 of the rod 25 so that therotation of the knob 29 will cause a'longitudinal movement of the rod25, and a correspondin movement of the wedging member 24 to w ich theinner end of the rod is attached.

In Fig. 2 a line spacing pawl 31 is shown in connection with the linespacing arm 20 by means of which the ratchet'wheel 22 is ordinarilymoved for line spacing. It should be understood, of course, that thenormal line spacing movement may be one or more spaces, but in theoperation of the present invention, the normal line spacing movement ofthe ratchet wheel is of no effeet when the wedging member 24: is movedinwardly or out of wedging engagement with the tongues 23 of the ratchetwheel 22.

In order to effect the operation of this variable line spacer, it isnecessary only to rotate the line spacing knob 29 relatively to theshaft 6 whereupon the platen l is free to move in either direction, andthe line spacing wheel 22 remains in position, where it is held by anadjustable spring-pressed roller stop 32. After the platen has beenadjusted to the desired position, the line spacing knob 29 is rotated todraw the wedging member 24 against the ton es 23 which will press themoutwardly agalnst the walls of the recess 4 of the bearing member 3. Inordinary operation one knob 8 is grasped in one hand, the knob 29 isgrasped in the other hand and rotated, and the platen is quickly set bymeans of the knob 8, after which the connection between the ratchetwheel 22 and the platen is restored by the rotation of the knob 29, andthe normal line spacing mechanism may be operated in the ordinarymanner.

I claims- 1. In a variable line spacer, a rotatable platen, meansincluding a ratchet wheel for normally rotating the platen for linespacing, and means including resilient tongues movable radially fordirectly and frictionally engaging the wheel with the platen so thatupon the release the platen is separately rotatable.

.2. In a variable line spacer, a rotatable platen, means including aratchet wheel for normally rotating the platen for line spacing and withresilient tongues projecting from the wheel, and means for pressing thetongues to engage the platen and lock the platen and wheel together.

3. In a .variable line spacer, a rotatable platen with a recessed memberat one end, a ratchet wheel for normally rotating the platen for linespacing, a releasable connection between the wheel and the end membercomprising spring tongues projecting from the Wheel, and means to engagethe tongues with the end member.

4. In a variable line spacer, a rotatable platen, a shaft upon which theplaten is mounted, a ratchet wheel for rotating the platen, and. meansincluding a rotatable knob fixed against axial movement at one end ofthe shaft for frictionally connecting and for disconnecting the platenand the wheel without longitudinal movement of the wheel, the shaft orplaten,

5. In a variable line spacer, a rotatable platen, a shaft to which theplaten is attached, a line spacing ratchet wheel, and means includingtongues in connection with the wheel and at one end of the shaft forfrictionally engaging the tongues with the platen so that they can berotated together or the platen can be rotated separately.'

6. In a variable line spacer, a platen and an attached shaft with whichit is rotatable, a line spacing rotatable member, and means including arotatable knob fixed against longitudinal movement at one end of theshaft and a rod movable longitudinally of the shaft for directly andfrictionally connecting and for disconnecting the-said rotatable memberand the platen.

7 In a variable line spacer, a rotatable platen, a line spacing wheeltherefor having projecting spring tongues to engage the platen, awedging member-to press the tongues in engagement with the platen, and

means at one end ofthe platen for moving the wedging member into and outof engaging position.

8. In a variable line spacer, a rotatable platen, a shaft on which theplaten is mounted, a line spacing wheel, means for directly connectingthe wheel and the platen, means for operating said engaging meanscomprising a rod movable longitudinally of the shaft at one end thereof,and a rotatable knob threaded on the end of the rod and fixed againstmovement longitudinally of the shaft.

9. In a variable line spacer, a platen, a shaft upon which the platen ismounted having a longitudinal groove at one end, a line spacing wheelhaving spring tongues for engaging it with the platen, means for movmgthe spring tongues into and out of such engagement, and an operatingmechanism for said means comprising a rod seated in the groove engagingthe said means at one end and a rotatable knob engaging the 'rod at theother end for moving it longitudinally in said groove.

10. In a variable line spacer, a platen, a shaft on which the platen ismounted, end plates in which the shaft is rotatable, knobs attached tothe ends of the shaft outside of the end plates and preventing thelongitudinal movement of the shaft, a line spacing ratchet wheel at oneend of the platen fixed against longitudinal movement on the shaft andhaving spring tongues movable to engage the platen, a wedging devicerotatable and longitudinally movable on the shaft for engage the tonguesand press them outwardly to form africtional engagement with the platen,and means for moving the Wedging device out of engagement with thespring tongues so that the platen can be rotated entirely free from theratchet wheel.

12. In a variable line spacer, a rotatable shaft longitudinally groovedat .one end, a platen mounted thereon having a recessed bearing memberat. one end of the platen, a rotating knob for the platen at each end ofthe shaft, means for fixing the shaft against longitudinal movement, aline spacing ratchet wheel coaxial with the shaft having spring tongueswhich extend within the recess of the bearing member, a wedging memberalso within said recess movable longitudinally of the shaft for pressingthe spring tongues outwardly in engagement with the wall of the recess,a rod engaging the wedging member at one end movable longitudinally inthe slot and having an offset threaded portion projecting from one endof the shaft, a rotatable line spacer knob threaded on the end of therod, and means for attaching the knob to the shaft for permitting therotation of the knob and preventing its movement longitudinally of theshaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this8th day of May, A. I). 1918.

OTTO A. IIOKANSON.

